A high-security prison is encouraging inmates to watch nature videos

Researchers from the American Psychological Association
might have found a way to suppress violent behavior in
high-security prisons. Surprisingly, one part of the answer to
solving behavioral problems could involve showing inmates
nature videos — or at least that's what preliminary evidence from
a small pilot study suggests.

Dr.
Patricia H. Hasbach, a psychotherapist and faculty member at
Lewis and Clark College who led the research, noted that nature
is necessary for physical and psychological well-being. And
although most American inmates can't spend time actually out
in nature, getting that indirect contact via video is enough to
provide some relief to psychological stress.

In order to test how this might work in the prison system,
Hasbach and other researchers studied inmates at The Snake River
Correctional Institution in Oregon for an entire year. Half of a
42-person cell block was shown nature videos (images of oceans,
the sky, a fireplace, etc.) during their three to four hours of
indoor recreation time each week, while the other half wasn't.
All the prisoners involved in the research were in solitary
confinement.

The research team then conducted inmate surveys and interviews,
and
presented their findings on August 5. They found that
negative emotions like aggression, distress, irritability, and
nervousness were all reduced for several hours after the nature
videos were viewed.

Prison guards even noticed a difference in the inmates' behaviors
and have started using the method as an intervention when they
think an inmate is about to act out. Nature videos are now being
shown in other parts of the prison, as well.

"We found that inmates who watched the nature videos committed 26
percent fewer violent infractions," said Hasbach, in
a statement. "This is equivalent to 13 fewer violent
incidents over the year, a substantial reduction in real world
conditions, since nearly all such events result in injuries to
inmates or officers."

Hasbach and her research team are hoping that this method can be
used in the future at other institutions to improve inmate
mentality and reduce prison violence, but much more research is
needed on more varied populations of prisoners.